The sputum is proteinaceous secretion. We encourage the patients with PTB, LRI patients to spit out in a cup and dispose it safely.But the advised methods of sputum disposal are not followed by the patients.They simply spit over wherever they want (except inside their house) which obviously spread the infection in the community and loss of proteins to the patient causing malnutrition. What if we swallow the sputum? Auto-inoculation?
What are the organisms that can escape the acidity of stomach and alkalinity of duodenum and can successfully establish secondary infection? For Which LRI we can advise the patient to cough and then swallow the sputum? For which we shouldn't?
